Swiss turning for small, long parts – Meeting mass production at Yamaguchi Vietnam

Small diameter, long parts such as shafts, pins, bushes, or sleeves often demand high stability during machining, especially when transitioning to mass production. Swiss-type turning is one of the suitable methods for this product group due to its ability to support the workpiece close to the cutting zone, thereby minimizing the effects of low rigidity in long and slender parts. In Vietnam, Yamaguchi has established a large-scale CNC machining system with over 370 CNC machines, including 187 CNC lathes and 41 automatic bar feeder CNC lathes. The company's total machining capacity exceeds 1,000,000 products/month, catering to orders from single prototypes to mass production.

What is Swiss-type turning and how is it suitable for small, long parts?

Swiss-type turning, or Swiss-type CNC turning, is a turning method that uses a sliding headstock mechanism. A characteristic feature of this method is that the bar stock can be supported by a guide bushing close to the cutting tool. For a shaft-like part, as the diameter decreases while the length increases, the rigidity of the protruding workpiece section diminishes. During cutting, forces acting on the workpiece can cause vibration or deformation, thereby affecting dimensional accuracy and surface quality. With Swiss-type lathes, the machining zone is positioned closer to the workpiece support point. As a result, this method is particularly beneficial for small diameter, long, and slender parts machined from bar stock. Beyond the machine's characteristics, combining CNC turning with an automatic bar feeding system also facilitates continuous production cycles, a crucial factor when handling high-volume, repetitive orders.

Swiss-type Turning and Automatic Bar Feeder Turning Capabilities at Yamaguchi Vietnam

Yamaguchi focuses strongly on precision mechanical machining. The company owns over 370 CNC machines and is capable of machining from single prototypes to mass production across more than 30 types of materials. The overall machining capacity exceeds 1 million products per month.

41 Automatic Bar Feeder CNC Lathes – Geared Towards Mass Production

One of the notable features in Yamaguchi's equipment system is its 41 automatic bar feeder CNC lathes. With bar stock machining, the bar feeding system can automatically load material into the machine cyclically, instead of operators having to manually load individual workpieces. This reduces manual bar loading operations and facilitates a more continuous machining process. For repetitive product orders, the production challenge is not merely about machining a single part to specification. Manufacturers also need to consider the ability to maintain productivity and quality throughout a large batch as well as across multiple production lots. Yamaguchi's significant investment in CNC lathes and automatic bar feeder CNC lathes provides the foundation for machine allocation based on the characteristics, production volume, and technical requirements of each product code.

Citizen Cincom A20VII – Swiss-type Turning for Small and Long Parts

For small diameter, long, or slender parts, maintaining stability during turning is a crucial factor, especially when producing in large quantities. Yamaguchi Vietnam provides Swiss-type turning using Citizen Cincom A20VII machines, suitable for precision parts machined from bar stock. The machine's sliding headstock structure allows the workpiece to be supported close to the cutting zone, helping to minimize the effects of vibration and deflection when machining long parts with small diameters. As a result, this technology is suitable for many rotational products such as shafts, pins, bushes, sleeves, collars, and other precision mechanical components. In addition to the Citizen Cincom A20VII, Yamaguchi also possesses a system of CNC lathes and 41 automatic bar feeder CNC lathes, enabling continuous production for repetitive machining orders. Depending on the product's size, shape, material, tolerance, and production volume, Yamaguchi can select the appropriate equipment solution to balance precision, productivity, and mass production efficiency.

Some Small and Long Parts Machined by Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi Vietnam has experience machining many shaft-like parts with small diameters and relatively long lengths across various materials. Actual products demonstrate the ability to handle materials from stainless steel SUS303, SUS304 to tool steel SKD11 and carbon steel S45C, with machining tolerances from ±0.01 mm depending on part requirements. Some typical products:

Among these, parts such as Ø7 × 70 mm and Ø12 × 173 mm have a large length-to-diameter ratio, typical for shaft-like products and long shaft parts that require significant attention to stability during machining. With a diverse CNC lathe system, Yamaguchi can select machining solutions based on product shape, material, tolerance, and required production volume, thereby catering to both single precision parts and high-volume, repetitive orders.

Capable of Machining Over 30 Types of Materials for Precision Turning

Beyond equipment capabilities, the ability to machine diverse materials is one of Yamaguchi Vietnam's strengths. Currently, the company can handle over 30 different types of materials, from stainless steel, carbon steel, special steels to aluminum, copper, brass, and engineering plastics. Each material group has different machining characteristics, therefore Yamaguchi selects cutting conditions, tools, and machining methods appropriate for the size, tolerance, and production volume requirements of each product.

In actual machined products, Yamaguchi has processed various materials such as SUS303, SUS304, S45C, SKD11, SCM440, A5052, A6061, and C3604 for round parts with diverse sizes and tolerance levels. Thanks to its experience machining various material groups, Yamaguchi can flexibly cater to projects involving CNC turning, rotational parts, shafts, pins, bushes, sleeves, and precision mechanical components, from single-piece production to high-volume, repetitive OEM orders. If you have a need for CNC turning of small, long parts or mass production? Please send your drawings and technical requirements to Yamaguchi Vietnam for an assessment of the suitable machining solution.